Subconscious fiend
by grandvizier527
Summary: Lance is possessed by a demonic Mutradi. This is meant to be episode 27.
1. Chapter 1

Episode 27: Subconscious Fiend

DISCLAIMER: ALL CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THESE STORIES ARE COPYRIGHTS OF CARTOON NETWORK. I HAVE NO AFFILIATION TO SYM-BIONIC TITAN OR ITS CREATOR, GENNDY TARTAKOVSKY. I AM SIMPLY TRYING TO EXPAND ON HIS EXCELLENT WORK, NOW THAT THE SHOW, WHICH HAD SO MUCH POTENTIAL, HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

T

Modula was sitting in his room, sighing. Starting with the bounty hunters, he decided to plant tracking devices on every Mutradi or assassin he would send from now on. He was disappointed with the short, futile fight. But he was relaxed. Many Mutradi would lose, but only one could win. And if it wasn't a Mutradi, it would be something far more powerful. He was running out of options, but not time, he thought. And he could always ask one his friends for help. The General emerged from his room and ordered a passing soldier to send a transmission to the planet Mutrad. The soldier obeyed, and someone whom the General trusted and respected heard it.

In minutes, a black, streamlined, opaque ship touched down on Galaluna's surface just outside the castle's courtyard. Modula went out to greet his friend. Emerging from the ship was a gray, transparent creature. It floated as it moved, with a flat, gray tail. But its transparency was not its frightening feature. It had two glowing red eyes, no pupils, and inhumanly curved claws. Above its eyes sat two eyebrows consisting of blue flame. In summary, a living ghost. Its name was Thanatos. "General, what external forces require me to be summoned?" Asked Thanatos.

"Titan; I'll explain everything", replied Modula.

"Very well. Tell me, where is Lexi?" asked Thanatos.

"Dead," replied the general.

"Oh...how unfortunate." The ghost and the General walked inside the castle, towards the Rift Gate.

Modula wasted no time in explaining everything he knew about Earth, Titan, G3, and Edward. "So he is alive, then?" said Thanatos.

"It would seem to be so. If you cannot find him, at least find and kill Liana. She remains in"

"Very well, then. I'll get my ship to the Rift Gate. But tell me," said Thanatos, lowering his voice, "Why do you persist in destroying these pests?"

"They may be just pests now, but if Edward can recreate the Rift Gate- and I know he can- he and the others in Titan could undo everything I have worked so hard to achieve," said Modula. "By the way, I want you to wear this tracking device so I can monitor your actions. I need to learn from every battle I have with Titan and the machines that form it," he continued, handing Thanatos a small, portable device. Thanatos attached it to his ghostly, barely solid body. "It will function even if you are in possession of a host. You are perhaps one of my last hopes," Modula went on to say. "Do not fail me, Thanatos."

Thanatos left via the Rift Gate. Upon arriving on Earth, he used the ships radar to scan for any other aircraft. There were many, some passenger jets, others fighter jets and helicopters. But there was no massive airship which Modula claimed allegedly housed G3 and Edward. But it was of little importance. Thanatos remembered that his primary target was the Lunis residence, where our three Galalunans were living. He made his ship, along with himself, invisible when he arrived near the outskirts of Sherman. As he was landing, his ship's scanners detected no one in the house. But Thanatos knew that they would be back. He floated across the city of Sherman, unnoticed, until he arrived at the Lunis home. Octus could not even pick it up, because he only registered living things. And Thanatos was not alive, in a physical sense. The ghostly Mutradi passed through the wall of their house, hovered in place in the living room, and waited. As the time passed, Thanatos decided that he would exterminate these three indirectly by using the most vulnerable-minded of the trio.

It was third period at Sherman High school. The bell had just rung, and everyone was rushing to their respective classes. Everyone, that is, except Kristen and Lance. They were still talking by the lockers.

"I heard what you did for your sister. That was really stupid, but sweet at the same time," said Kristen. She was obviously referring to how Lance had helped Ilana set up a concert for a song she had written. The song was an apology to Jason, and it worked.

"Well, I hate seeing her upset," said Lance. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that when they first landed on the planet, Lance and Ilana were presumed siblings, although that was far from the truth.

"I guess that's reasonable. Families gotta stick together," she replied. "Hey, did you about that monster that showed up last night not far from the Rec center? I heard it was killed by Titan so quickly before it caused any damage. Who...or what...do you think Titan is?"

Lance pretended to hear her question. But he was really thinking about her and Ilana. He knew he would have to like Kristin and her alone. Ilana was not relevant. He could not and would not love her, he told himself. He would love Kristen, who understood him (possibly) and could love him back. But was it real? When Lance looked at Kristen nowadays, he just couldn't pay attention. Sometimes, he found himself mesmerized by her. Her whole body was just amazing to look at, in his point of view, at least. But it seemed that his love for Kristen and love for Ilana were two different things. Whenever he saw her nowadays, he was suddenly filled with an intense, almost lustful, attraction. Lance wasn't sure whether this was okay or not, seeing as she was only an Earth girl that he didn't know very well. And he had never really met a lot of girls that could qualify as "cute" in his days on Galaluna. He had grown up in a military academy, so he rarely saw any women at all. They had separate facilities in whole separate district of the kingdom. Lance knew what Kristen was like, but didn't really know much about her background and private life. If he did, would it change his feelings for her?

To be true, her personality was similar to his own, but he never really could relax or tell his feelings around her. And she could never know the pain, the scars, and frustration he had been feeling for most of his life. And he could never tell her he was an alien. But Ilana... she knew and understood his thoughts, or at least tried to, and could be filled with sympathy for the loss of his beloved father. Kristen, even if he told her, could never be moved emotionally the way Ilana could. And when he was around Ilana, he felt more relaxed and comfortable telling her anything. And she wasn't just nice to him; she was like this to almost anyone, even strangers. Kristen wasn't mean, but she didn't exactly have a warm heart like Ilana did. But when Lance was around Kristen, he felt a twinge of guilt for staring at her body and not listening to her. But when he was with Ilana, it felt...right. She was always there to brighten his day. And most importantly, Ilana was one of his own species. Even though Earthlings and Galalunans looked alike, they were really two different subspecies of humans. Lance was unsure of which girl was right for him. But then he was disheartened when he remembered that he could never choose; it would have to be Kristen. But sometimes he secretly longed for Ilana instead.

"Lance? Were you listening to anything I said?" Kristen asked suddenly.

"Uh...yeah. Something about Titan?"

Kristen sighed. Sometimes he got on her nerves. They never had conversations like they used to. Now it was just her talking and him nodding and staring at her. And she could tell when he was zoned out. Is this really what I want, she thought. A theory drifted through her mind: did she want him because he wanted her? She didn't have the answers. At first she thought it was great because Lance seemed to be so much like her. But if he wanted to treat her like an object...things would never work out.

Lance knew immediately he had been caught daydreaming again. "Kristen, look...I'm sorry. I was distracted again."

"By me? Lance, why are you like this all of sudden?"

"I don't know. I promise I'll stay focused. It's not you. It's me. I just...I'm not used to this. I'm not used to having a girlfriend. I guess this is kind of awkward for me," he said, embarrassed. "If you want to leave because of this, I understand."

"Of course not! It irritates me when you don't pay attention, but that doesn't mean I suddenly hate you! Besides, I am fairly attractive," she said jokingly.

"Fairly? That's an understatement!" Lance said, smiling. She laughed. "But seriously," Lance continued, "This relationship isn't about...desire, or whatever. It has to be a mutual, unbreakable bond that we share. Or something like that." Lance wanted to slap himself for that last sentence. It was way too soldier-like.

Kristen burst out laughing. Lance waited patiently for her to calm down. When she did, she said, "I get it. You feel bad for treating me like an object."

"Yes, I don't want it to be like this. I'm sorry."

"Hey, at least you feel bad for it. The last guy I dated wasn't nearly as apologetic about as you. At least you care about how we take this. I think it shows...maturity. I like that." And then she gave him a quick kiss, and left.


	2. Chapter 2

When school ended, the Galalunan trio went home for dinner. Thanatos watched the three, silently floating to the kitchen as his targets began their meal. Octus had prepared something they had never had before; ribs and pulled pork, a Southerner's treat. Octus found that he enjoyed it, especially the rich barbecue flavor, but Ilana couldn't bring herself to eat it. Lance enjoyed the food, too, but his mind was on other things. "It's all sticky and messy!" Ilana complained. "Royalty such as me shouldn't eat this...slop!"

"It may look awful, but just taste it," replied Octus. "You won't really know unless you try some."

Ilana, with a mixture a fear and disgust, took a small bite of a rib, tearing off the juicy meat from the bone. She was instantly transported to a magical world of flavor and spices unfamiliar to her. It was wonderful. And then, she found herself back in the kitchen with Octus, who was still gobbling down scraps on his plate like a mechanical pig. An ironic comparison, since Octus was actually eating a pig. "This is amazing!" exclaimed Ilana. "We've got to take this stuff back to Galaluna! What else do you think should we bring back?"

"Popsicles!" replied Octus.

"Oh, and some of the Earth fashion!" Ilana chimed in. "Except for those midriff revealing things. I don't like those. Oh, and another thing we should import are...uh...guitars! You know, rock and such! What do you think, Lance? When we come back home, if you bring your guitar, you can teach everybody to be rockstars! Doesn't that sound awesome? Lance?"

"Uh, yeah," said Lance absentmindedly. He was still thinking about Kristen. She was so beautiful, but was she really the right girl for him? It seemed as if they started out friends, but they were definitely a couple now. Why was he falling head over heels for her when he only knew of her from just a few dates? Despite the fact that they had only known each other for a short time, it seemed like they should be together. He would just have to forget about Ilana. She was out of his league. Realizing he had no chance for her made him a bit sad. Why were his feelings for the two so conflicted? Didn't this sort of thing only happen to girls when they had trouble choosing a boy, not the other way around? Lance felt like one of those characters in that teen drama show, High School Hearts, which Ilana and Octus loved to watch.

Thanatos raised his flaming eyebrows as he observed Lance's mind. This one looked ripe for the picking...

After dinner, Octus pulled Lance aside. Thanatos followed the two to listen in on their conversation. "Lance, at dinner, you seemed...distant. And I know exactly why you were that way. I just want to give my advice. If you don't take it, I'll understand. It seems like your attraction to Kristen seems to be based more on lust, while you seem to have more... developed feelings for Ilana. Am I correct?" the robot asked.

Lance sighed. "It's none of your business, Octus. I can only like one girl. And it's gonna be Kristen. To be honest, if had to choose, I..." he thought about what he was going to say. "I...would choose Ilana."

"Is it partly because she is Galalunan? "Asked Octus.

"Yes, but...I can't have her. She probably hates me deep down. I wasn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy when we first came here, remember? I've sort of had this mindset, that, if I can't have her, I might as well have an Earth girl who I share more things in common with. Maybe Kristen will turn out to be the right one for me."

"So, in order to negate your disappointment for not having Ilana, you have subconsciously decided to choose someone more...appealing?" asked Octus.

"Well, I...guess so," responded Lance.

"Well, there are three things I want you to remember; if you can learn to love Kristen with your heart, and not just with your head, then it may be real after all. Second, has it occurred to you that perhaps the King assigned you to be Ilana's protector because he wanted you two to grow fond of each other? I mean, if something happened on Galaluna, and you two became the last of your kind, you would have no choice but to...reproduce," Octus reminded him.

This had never occurred to Lance. He was frightened by this idea. He grew nervous and uneasy. "This is one reason the King may actually want you to fall in love with his daughter," Octus continued.

"Yeah, but does he...trust me with her?" Asked Lance.

"Apparently so," Octus replied. "And here's a third idea with more relevancy to now: Do you really know that much about Kristen? Have you met her parents? Her other friends? When is her birthday?"

"Uh..." Lance began. He had no idea.

"See what I mean?" Octus continued. "All the more reason to like Ilana. You know a whole lot more about her. How long have you gotten to know Kristen?"

"2 months," Lance replied. "But I've only known Ilana personally for about a year," he said.

"True, but that would be six times longer than you have known Kristen. For all we know, she could be...a bad influence."

Maybe Octus was right, Lance thought. But... hey, wait a minute! Suddenly, Lance scowled. He realized what Octus was trying to do. "The King programmed you to say that!" He yelled, supposedly knowing the truth. "He just wanted me to fall in love with Ilana so I would protect her more! It's all about Ilana, cause' she's a princess, isn't it?"

"I don't see what you mean, "said Octus.

"Well, if that's not it, then it must be...because you're jealous! You want me and Kristen to break up so you can break up with that slut Kimmy and have Kristen all to yourself!"

"How dare you accuse me of-" Octus began.

If that's not the reason, then it's gotta be...because you think she's some kind of Mutradi spy just because she doesn't wear stupid bright clothes like Ilana. Well, whatever the reason, I'm just gonnna make you change your little plans. I'm not gonna like Ilana. She can go get herself killed by some Mutradi for all I care. You and she will never understand me! I'm just gonna go to bed!" He yelled, walking up to his room. "Besides, why should I take advice from you? You're a robot! YOU CAN'T LOVE! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A SOUL!"

Octus was furious, but he tried to control his temper. "You take that back!" he snapped.

"Oh, what's the matter, is robo-nerd mad at me?" said Lance mockingly. "What are you gonna do? You can't hurt me!"

"I am more than capable of that!" shouted Octus. He turned off the "Mr. Lunis" hologram, and Lance turned on his armor. Thanatos grinned. Perhaps he wouldn't have to do anything! They were just about to fight when Ilana came down the stairs. Thanatos frowned. Nothing could be that easy.

"Hey, I heard shouting and..." she gasped. "What's gotten into you two? Are you really going to fight?"

Lance turned off his armor. "I'm not gonna hurt you, Octus, because if I did, Ilana might get all fussy. I mean, we can't let our glorious, almighty princess see some violence, now can we?" And he ran upstairs, locking the door to his room.

Octus was furious, so Ilana tried to calm him down. "Look, he really appreciates whatever you told him. He's just got some problems. You know, teenage moodiness?" she tried reassuring her robot friend. "By the way, if it's not too personal, what _were_ you two talking about?"

"I'd rather not say," replied Octus. And he went upstairs without saying a word. Lance went to bed, too, feeling no guilt in thinking lustful thoughts of him and Kristen. No one would pull them apart. She was his prize. In ancient days, after soldiers plundered villages, they could do as they pleased with the women. Seeing as he was soldier on a hostile planet, he felt victorious as he had managed to coexist with the natives. And to the victor went the spoils, thought Lance. No one would separate him from Kristen, his prize.


	3. Chapter 3

When all was quiet, Thanatos entered the house by passing through a wall. He went into each room and observed the Galalunans. There was nothing he could do with the machine. The princess was too stable for him to manipulate. But the young man...Thanatos placed an inhuman finger on Lance's temple, near his brain. He used his otherwordly, dark powers to learn everything he could about his potential host. He learned of his past, his present, and the emotions running through his head right now. He could feel the frustration, desire, anger, confusion, and hatred. Thanatos knew he could use this to his advantage. Using his strange power, he entered Lance's subconscious.

Lance's mind was active. _Why can't I have her? Why do they take her away from me?_

_Yes. They can't do that! Said a voice. It sounded exactly like his Lance's own._

_You...are you? Asked Lance._

_I am your subconscious, Lance. I am your thoughts, collected into a replica of yourself. And I can explain why the machine is taking your only potential love away from you. You were correct in accusing him of jealousy. But he desire does not desire her. He desires to experience the love and affection that only humans can display. He envies your human spirit._

_Well, why does he want me to love Ilana? Lance asked his "subconscious." In truth, it was only Thanatos._

_Because Ilana is not the right girl for you, but he thinks she is. Being a soulless robot, as you said, he is wrong, and you are right. Ilana is friendly, and you may appreciate her company, but you do not desire her. If you desire a woman, you must pursue her, even if she resists. It is the best for the both of you if you pursue Kristen._

_But...why her? Lance asked._

_Because you enjoy looking at her. If you take delight in her, than she deserves to belong to you. Remember, I know your thoughts, as well as your desires and your pain, because we are one. The details are rather complicated. You will not be interested in hearing them._

_Do the others...do they understand me?_

_No. Only I know the pain you suffered at the loss of your father. Because he was also my father. Again, it is because we are one. Only you know the best path for yourself to take. And because I am you, I know which path is best. Take the path which leads to your true love, Lance. Kristen; she will be an endless supply of happiness._

_You mean...I was right in thinking it was Kristen?_

_Yes. All that Octus said about her was a lie. And the princess, because she is not the girl you love, does not deserve as much protection. Kristen is your main priority. Also, when your father died, and you first thought to yourself that you needed no one, you were right. But now, times have changed. You need this girl._

_But what if she is a bad influence, like Octus said?_

_Tell me, Lance, would a "bad influence" try to know and appreciate you and understand you, not asking for change, or be intruding, but instead respecting what you have suffered? She is like you in many ways. Ilana and Octus do not understand._

_True, but...they are my friends._

_Trust me, Lance. I am your subconscious. This is how you about them feel deep down. I possess feelings and attitudes you may never have fully realized you even had. I am a personification of your inner personality. Yes, they are your friends, but do they really know what is best for you? _

_And Thanatos left Lance's subconscious, allowing him to drift peacefully in the realm of sleep..._

The next morning, Lance stayed in his bed for the first twenty minutes of his day. He felt unsure as to whether he could trust his "subconscious". But whoever he was, he seemed to let him do as he wished. The only one here worth caring for is Kristen, he thought. The others can take care of themselves. We love each other, so we must be perfect for each other, Lance rationalized. He showered, dressed, and went downstairs, ready to face whatever Octus had to say. He arrived by the time Ilana and Octus were halfway through breakfast.

Neither he nor Octus spoke at breakfast. Ilana gave her usual cheerful greeting. "Good morning!" then her voice changed to a somber tone. "Look, if you're still mad at Octus about the argument last night, I think it would be best if you both moved on," she said, glancing at Octus and Lance alternatively. "You won't always agree on things. But the important thing is that today is a new day," she said.

Lance thought about what she said. Then suddenly, Thanatos spoke from inside his mind.

_Lance. This is your subconscious._

_You can talk to me when I'm awake?_

_Yes, I can. _

_What do want from me?_

_Your opinion. What do you think of what Ilana just said?_

_Well...she really doesn't know what she is talking about._

_Then why don't you tell her so?_

_I-Lance began. But then, a thought rushed into Lance's mind. Suddenly, he had no more doubt._

And without thinking, Lance said-

"What would _you_ know about getting into arguments? You're just a spoiled princess. You would kill anybody if they disagreed with your royal wisdom," Lance said sarcastically. "And you know nothing about moving on, either," he continued. "When my father died, was I supposed to just move on and forget about it? When Baron beat me up on my first day at the academy, was I supposed to just go around thinking that today was a new day? That wouldn't have worked, and you know it!"

"Lance, I was talking about the present situation, not past events," she replied, slightly irritated. "And what's with all the sarcasm? Do you really think I'm spoiled?" she replied angrily.

Lance seemed to be able to respond to that question in a heartbeat.

"You know what? I _do_ think you're spoiled. And I also think you shouldn't be prying into my personal business! Do you even know what Octus and I were talking about?"

"No," said Ilana, backing away.

Lance glared angrily at Octus. "Not telling her what we discussed has been the only thing you got right, scrap metal," Lance walked out of the house, took the car keys, and drove to school. Hopefully, Kristen, his only friend, would make things better. Lance wasn't sure if he could trust his subconscious. The words Lance had just said to Ilana didn't entirely feel like his own. Did this thing that claimed to be part of him really know what was best for him?

"There goes our ride," Ilana remarked. "Octus, could you get Kimmy to come and pick us up?"

"Ok," he replied. Octus was angry at once Lance had said. But then he remembered what Ilana told him. It was just merely teenage moodiness. Octus could never fully analyze the thoughts of a crazed adolescent.

So Octus called his girlfriend. Hopefully, she wouldn't be moody today. "Hey, Kimmy. I love you. Hey. Could you help me and Ilana? We are in a bit of dilemma. No, it's not a fashion emergency. No? Not even for me? Please? But we'll have to walk to all the way to...can't you just drop us off at the back? No? But..." Octus hung up. "Kimmy says she'll pick me up, but not if you're with me. I think she said she was embarrassed to be seen with you. I'm sorry, Ilana," said Octus.

"Oh, well...we can just fly using our armor. That's probably what Lance would have done if the car was gone...well, if he hadn't been the one who took it in the first place," said Ilana. "Let's try to get there quickly, Ok? I'm a little worried about Lance today. When we get to school, could you analyze him for me?"

And then the princess and her robot left the house, hoping that their soldier guardian hadn't gone off the deep end.

_Subconscious guy, what did you just do? Lance asked._

_What you said to Ilana was what you were thinking deep down. In your subconscious. Because I am a collection of your subconscious thoughts, I know exactly what you need to say in every scenario._

_What are you talking about? That didn't help. Now Ilana is mad at me, Lance replied to Thanatos._

_You may have difficulty understanding this, Lance, but I know what is best for you. I merely say for you what is on your mind; you would have said it, anyway, regardless of your being away of my presence or not. Trust the decisions I make for you, Lance. What I put words in your head, you will speak them and it will work out. And the decision I made is that you should distance yourself from Ilana._

_Why should I trust you? Asked Lance._

_If you trust me, I will give you what you want. Besides, there is no way to resist your subconscious. And because you and I are the same being, whatever I say is exactly what you would say. That is how it has been working for your entire life._

_So...I have never had a thought of my own free will? Lance asked nervously._

_Yes and no. You have never spoken a word without my consent. Whenever you change your mind about something, it is because what you were going to say contradicts that of your subconscious. In fact, you cannot tell a lie unless I approve of it. But all of my words and actions are actually yours. Therefore, you are really in control of me._

_Well, why I am suddenly able to talk to you? Asked Lance. I liked it better when I didn't know you existed!_

_I will only communicate you like this until your internal conflict has been resolved. I am in the process of doing so for you. _

Lance was scared of what his subconscious was doing next...

When Lance got to school after what seemed like an eternity, he approached Kristen, ignoring everyone else.

_Observe, Lance, as I win you your true love, said Thanatos._

Before Lance could protest, he found himself saying Kristen's name to her in a low voice. And before Kristen could ask what was going on, Lance grabbed her and kissed her. When their lips broke away, he said, "I did some thinking last night. I give up. You're irresistible. I can't control myself around you. I think it means we're meant to be. I've decided that there's nothing I'd like to do more than run away with you." He kissed her again. And everyone at school saw it. Kristen's breath was taken away. "Whoa...that was amazing. What's gotten into you lately? I thought yesterday you said...?" she began.

"That was then. This is now." He tried to kiss her again, but she slapped him on the face, hoping he would snap out of whatever had happened to him. "I don't know what's gotten into you," said Kristen. "If you're trying to be flirty, now's not the time or place. I'm not gonnna go out with you if you keep doing this."

"But..." Lance was confused. _Hey, subconscious! You said this would work!_

_It will...but in time. Kristen may pretend to be frightened, but really she is excited by your sudden change. Trust me, Lance._

But Lance was still unsure. And with good reason to be. It seemed like when his subconscious advised him to do something, it wasn't really in his control. He felt like he had no free will over his actions, and his thoughts were no longer a safe haven. So Lance decided to sit alone at lunch that day. But then he saw Ian, the leader of the band, Disenfranchised, that let him join, then kicked him out soon after. He was sitting at a nearby table; Lance saw him and scowled, still holding a grudge. His subconscious spoke again:

_Lance, there he is. The one who ruined your only chance at stardom and fame. Now is your chance to get your revenge!_

_Revenge? I really don't care about that. I mean, I'm still a little steamed at him, but...I don't think it's the answer._

_Trust me, Lance. A good fight fuels you. This is your chance to energize and settle the score with a foe._

_Listen, I don't think you're really- Lance began._

But before Lance could finish a thought directed to Thanatos, a strange energy washed over his body.

And before he knew it, he had rushed over to where Ian was sitting and delivered a few punches to his face. Ian was completely taken by surprise. While he was stunned, Lance delivered a sharp kick to him in the side. Lance then stomped on his face. Lance looked at the damage he had caused. It hadn't really felt like him doing it. It felt more he like he was watching a movie, but everything was real. Ian's nose was bleeding, and he had a bruise on his forehead. Lance suddenly found his foot rising, and then...

ENOUGH! Yelled Lance. Ian thought Lance was talking to him, but he was actually talking to Thanatos. "Ian! Lance yelled. "Leave! I didn't want to hurt you, and I-"

"I'm not falling for that, man! You're just crazy!" and he fled the scene.

"GET OUT OF MY LIFE! YOU'RE NOT MY SUBCONCIOUS! YOU'RE A NIGHTMARE!" Lance yelled aloud. He saw Ilana and Octus standing nearby, in shock. Lance had an idea. "Guys, I have to use the bathroom", he whispered as he went over to them. They understood immediately.


	4. Chapter 4

And so the three of them fled the school building, armoring up after making sure no one was looking, and flew to an old warehouse in the middle of the woods. It was a dingy, gray, two-story building, which looked seemed to serve no purpose save storage. There didn't seem to be much, but tucked away in a few of the darker corners "Lance, what's a gotten into you?" Asked Ilana as they landed and turned off their armor.

"I don't know; I-" he began. Then suddenly, he knees buckled, and he collapsed. His eyes glowed blue when he stood to his feet. He spoke again, but his voice was icy and demonic. It sounded exactly like Thanatos.

"PRINCESS ILANA OF GALALUNA! AS YOU MAY HAVE ASSUMED, I, THANATOS, AM NOW IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF YOUR GUARDIAN, LANCE. I ACHEIVED THIS BY ENTERING HIS MIND AND TELLING HIM I WAS HIS SUBCONCIOUS. AS OF THIS MORNING, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTROL OF HIS ACTIONS, AND HE HAS BEEN ACTING UNDER MY ABSOLUTE COMMAND! ALL OF HIS ACTIONS TODAY WERE CAUSED BY ME! AS I CONVINCED HIM THAT I WAS HIS ALLY, MY INFLUENCE GREW STRONGER IN HIS MIND, AND NOW, DESPITE HIS DOUBT, HE UNKNOWINGLY LOWERED HIS MENTAL DEFENSES BY TRUSTING ME EVERY WORD, AND I HAVE JUST NOW GAINED CONTROL OF HIS BODY! WOULD YOU ATTACK THE SOLDIER WHO HAS SAVED YOU DOZENS OF TIMES?" Thanatos finished his monologue in a mocking tone.

Ilana turned on her armor again. "You think I'll let myself get beaten by a demon-possessed Lance? Think again, Mutradi!" she cried. "I'm gonna kick you out of Lance's body, one way or the other, and we'll destroy you together!"

Thanatos laughed. "WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT, GALALUNAN," he replied. "BY ACCESSING LANCE'S MEMORIES, I HAVE LEARNED THE MANY STRENGTHS AND FEW WEAKNESSES OF THE MANUS ARMOR! YOU CANNOT STOP ME WHILE USING THAT JUNK METAL!"

"We'll see about that!" said Ilana defiantly. No one called Corus junk metal! She went over to Octus and whispered, "While I distract Thanatos, you see if you can't analyze some way for us to remove him from Lance safely."

"Affirmative," replied Octus.

"I'm ready, Thanatos!" she cried.

"VERY WELL, THEN. ENJOY YOUR FINAL MOMENTS," the demon replied.

And with that, a fight ensued.

Ilana began by firing a laser at Manus. Thanatos was surprised, and as such, he could not dodge the attack. The laser stung the armor, but had no effect on him. The only way for Ilana to damage him was by hurting Lance himself. She fired another blast, and Thanatos used Manus' rockets to move out of the way, but with great difficulty. The laser blasted a hole through the warehouse. Manus unsheathed its axe, and Thanatos swung at Ilana from the side. But she used Corus's jets to fly out of the way. They both used their jets to hover at one spot in the air, and continued their fight hovering above the ground. Corus fired another laser, knocking Manus backwards into the wall. But he quickly recovered and swung his axe in arc, sending it crashing into the top of Corus' head. Corus, as a result, was slammed back onto the ground. But Ilana could still fight, because Corus had landed face-up. When she did not rise up immediately, Thanatos did not check to see if Ilana was unconscious. Now was Ilana's chance! She quickly charged up a massive white laser from the heart on Corus' chest and fired it at Thanatos. It had Manus at full power, and he crashed down on the ground. Ilana flew over to the collapsed Manus robot and prepared another laser blast, but before she could fire it Thanatos delivered a kick with Manus' large metal foot. Ilana's Corus robot crashed into the wall of the warehouse. Thanatos used Manus' machine guns to open fire on Ilana. She tried to set up an electrostatic wall, but the force of so many bullets caused it to shatter. Ilana felt as if she was being pelted by thousands of tiny hammers, all trying to destroy her armor. She lifted her hands and formed a protective bubble, (better known as a force field in science fiction) which was more resilient than her protective walls and covered everything within a few meters of her. The machine gun bullets could not penetrate it. So Manus rushed over to where he had dropped his axe. He picked it up and started delivering blows against the force field. Even after several blows, it did not shatter. But it was only a matter of time before it would...

Octus, who had been analyzing the Manus armor which was now being controlled by Thanatos instead of Lance, delivered a powerful electric shock straight into the back of the robot, short circuiting it. It shut down, disappearing in a flash. And then it was only Lance standing there, his eyes still glowing blue. Thanatos had not left. Octus was shocked. "The electricity should have forced him out," he said to Ilana, who had turned off her force field.

"FOOLS! YOU CANNOT..." but Thanatos stopped. Then, he howled in pain, and the veins on Lance's neck strained. Lance spoke again, but it was with his own voice. "Get out of...my head! Aughhhh!"

"Lance! You can fight it!" Ilana encouraged. Turning to Octus, she asked, "Is there anything we can do?"

"No," he replied. "We cannot kill Thanatos unless we kill Lance. Only he can drive Thanatos out of his mind."

And inside Lance's mind, he felt as though he were fighting for his life. It was a mental struggle. Lance closed his eyes and yelled.

"You...leave...me...alone...go...away...I...know...who...you really are...you won't get...her...she weakened you...I can...fight back now...get...out!"

And then Lance screamed at the top of his voice. "LEAVE...ME...ALONE!" he cried. And the demon obeyed.

Ilana and Octus saw what happened. Thanatos left Lance's body, and they saw him for the first time. Lance looked up as he was floating away.

"We've got to kill him! Come on!" He yelled.

"Lance, your breathing rate and blood pressure are at abnormal levels. And you may still be in shock from such a traumatizing experience. I suggest..."

"NO!" Yelled Lance, and he flew out of the warehouse to chase after Thanatos.

"Let's help him!" Said Ilana. And so the two of them flew close behind.

Lance caught up to Thanatos. Ilana and Octus were fairly far behind. He saw him vanish into Lake Sherman. Lance knew that the only thing down there was the corpse of a giant long-limbed Mutradi they had fought long ago. Before he could think of any reason why Thanatos should go there, Thanatos emerged, having grown twenty feet. Thanatos flew out of the area with Lance using the jets of his Manus robot at maximum capacity. But he failed to catch up to him. Thanatos flew over to the woods on the outskirts of the city. He suddenly dove down upon approaching swamp like area. Lance knew that this was where another dead Mutradi they had fought was killed. Lance remembered that that Mutradi and taken control of Ilana, she became the same species as it. Kind of like a zombie...only super athletic. Lance had difficulty killing it. But that was all in the past. He saw Thanatos swoop down and place his claw on the corpse of the creature, which was now rotting from decay. Then suddenly, Lance saw Thanatos grow another twenty feet in size. Now he was three times as big as Manus. But Thanatos didn't stop there; he flew farther and came upon the corpse of another Mutradi, the Dark Shaman, a wizard who had once given Lance and Ilana nightmares. Lance tried to stop him as he placed his claw on the wizard's corpse, but Thanatos, who was now quite large, swatted him away. When Thanatos was finished with whatever it was he was doing, he grew even larger. He was now twenty feet shorter than Titan. If he got one more body...Lance waited for Ilana and Octus to catch up. But by that time, Thanatos had left. "We need to form Titan! Lance called out. "Don't ask why; just do it!" And so they did.

Lance took control of Titan and flew to the next place Thanatos would go: a large field with windmills which had another dead Mutradi, a giant, white, dog-like creature with six legs. It had also been a difficult opponent, Lance recalled. Titan tried to catch up, but they were too late. Thanatos was now just slightly larger than Titan. He slashed a shadowy claw at Titan, forming a scar on Titan's chest. Titan delivered a punch to Thanatos' stomach (Or at least where it should have been), but like the gas cloud they had fought before, the fist went straight through. And our three heroes didn't want a repeat of that fight. "It seems to be immune to every attack we have," said Octus.

Thanatos suddenly grabbed Titan in its ghostly claws and slashed Titan from top to bottom. Titan tried breaking free, but Thanatos had a strong grip. He threw Titan aside, having it destroy a few windmills. But Titan got back up. Lance had one idea. "Initiating Alpha Cannon!" he ordered. But when Titan fired it at Thanatos' body, the blast just went straight through the ghostly Mutradi. "THERE IS NO HOPE!" said Thanatos. "NOW YOU WILL ALL DIE!" he cried, punching straight into Titan's heart, shattering Titan's outer armor some more. As Titan stood, stunned, Thanatos sent out beams from his mouth, and they crashed into Titan's machinery. But Ilana did some quick thinking. They already knew that Titan could fire blue lasers that were similar to the lasers of her Corus armor. If Titan could fire those, could also fire a massive beam from its chest, like Corus could? Ilana knew she had to try it out. She focused all the energy in Titan towards its heart, and Titan fired sure enough. The blast struck his glowing, red eyes. "AGH! MY EYES!"

Titan got up and fired one of its Cosmic Arrows at his eyes. Thanatos fell backwards. "Aim for his eyes!" Cried Ilana. She had discovered his weakness. "I'll do it!" said Lance. "Initiating Sym-Bionic spear!" he commanded, and Titan unsheathed its spear. Titan used it to stab into each of Thanatos' eyes. "AUGGHH! I'M NOT DEAD YET!" Thanatos cried. He slashed at Titan again, knocking him down. His eyes reappeared, and Thanatos then sent more blasts from his mouth, and they crashed once more into the fallen robot. But Titan got back and used its sword to slash at Thanatos, trying to aim for his eyes. Thanatos kept dodging the strikes. He eventually flew off, with Titan in pursuit. After pursuing him for quite some time, Titan threw its sword, which hit Thanatos' eyes after going through the back of his head. Thanatos fell back once again, face-up. Titan then fired its blue hand lasers straight at Thanatos' face. They burst from the massive energy concentration. When this happened, Thanatos vanished, without a trace.

School had ended by the time they returned, and the three Galalunans got detention until 5:30 in the afternoon. But Lance thought it was a reasonable sacrifice to pay for everything he had done.

Lance was suspended after the teachers heard about what he did for 3 days. When they allowed him back at school, he saw Kristen and Ian. What could he possibly say to them? Ian would never forgive him, but maybe Kristen would. He now realized that just because he liked her appearance didn't necessarily mean he would love her. But could they at least still date? "Kristen," said Lance, "I'm sorry about what happened a few days ago. I...was really stupid and not myself that day. If you don't ever want to see me again..."

"No, wait, Lance! To...tell you the truth, I kind of...liked the change," she said quietly. "I mean, I don't want you to that every day, but you really surprised me by doing something unexpected. By the way," she whispered, "You're a great kisser." She gave him a quick kiss, and left. But then he called out to her. "Kristen!" She came back to where he was. "I'm glad you liked...what I did, but I don't think it was appropriate. I want to take things slowly, you know? Just like I promised last week. Not rush into this. I mean, I want to get to know you better before we start getting seriously in love, ok? I want to make sure that...you're the right girl for me."

"Aww! That's so sweet of you, Lance! I get what you're trying to say. It's okay. But I decided I don't care what we do. As long as we're together, that's all that matters."

"Well, that's okay, but there's something else about what happened that day that I need to tell you. I really wasn't myself yesterday. Something...kind of came over me. I don't know how to explain it. It wasn't desire, or anything for that matter. It felt more like...someone."

Kristen was a little confused. "Well, it doesn't matter. Whatever it was, it's out of your system now. Let's just move on." She gave Lance a quick kiss, and walked away.

Lance still thought about their relationship as went on with his day. Was Kristen really the right choice for him, or was it Ilana, like Octus had said? Kristen was gorgeous and seemed to identify with him, but Ilana...well, she was just...sweeter. And she had saved him from Thanatos. And come to think of it, she was pretty cute, too, like Kristen. No, wait, Ilana didn't like him like that. He shifted back to Kristen. What would Kristen do now that she thought he had suddenly become the "bad boy" that everyone once thought he was, the social mask he had unwillingly created for himself in an attempt to hide his grief?

**What did you think of my OC, Thanatos? His name is supposed to be Greek for death, by the way, although he actually doesn't have much to do with that. I will be adding a few OCs from time to time, but none of them will rob the focus off of the canon characters, I assure you, and there certainly won't be any Mary Sues!**

**Please leave a review; substantial ones are preferred!**


End file.
